50 years later – the Vietnam War still casts a long shadow over the region

Thriving daily life in today's Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Michael Osterrieder/Mostphotos

“Probably more than 70 per cent of the now 100-odd million population of Vietnam were born after the Vietnam War and have received the standard education about the Vietnam’s resistance war against the US in such a way that is to a large extent shaped by state-led propaganda about the great victory against the imperialist Americans and national pride. The multi-faceted aspects of the war have often been underrepresented in official discourse in Vietnam, or is even highly censored, particularly the ideological conflict or the international intervention from the Soviet Union and People’s Republic of China (PRC) to form the proxy war or the civil war nature between the North (Democratic Republic of Vietnam - DRV) and the South (Republic of Vietnam - RVN)”, Thiem Hai Bui, researcher at Stockholm Centre for Global Asia explains.

Conflict rooted in Cold War Tensions

The Vietnam War was, in short, a protracted conflict rooted in Cold War tensions, pitting the communist North Vietnam, supported by the Soviet Union and PRC, against anti-communist South Vietnam, backed primarily by the United States. It emerged from Vietnam’s struggle for independence from French colonial rule, culminating in the 1954 Geneva Accords, which divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel into North and South. But the accords’ promise of reunification elections never materialized, escalating tensions. The US, driven by the domino theory, fearing communism’s spread, began aiding South Vietnam in the 1950s. Refuting the US intervention, the DRV aimed to use ‘revolutionary violence’ to liberate the South and unify the country under communism and supported the insurgency in the South, formerly known as the NLF (National Liberation Front). As anti-war protests surged across the world, particularly in the US, President Nixon negotiated an agreement to withdraw US troops. The 1973 Paris Peace Accords formalized a ceasefire and US exit, but fighting persisted. DRV and NLF launched a final offensive in 1975, capturing Saigon on April 30, ending the war and unifying Vietnam under the communist rule.

What were the immediate consequences of the war?

Thiem Hai Bui states that the Vietnam War is a major landmark in the Cold War era. It had profound immediate consequences for Vietnam and reverberated across Southeast Asia, shaping political, social, and economic landscapes. The war’s toll was staggering: over 2 million Vietnamese civilians, 1.1 million North Vietnamese and NLF fighters, 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers, and 58,000 US troops died. It left Vietnam devastated, with lasting scars from unexploded ordnance and Agent Orange, which caused lasting environmental and health damage. The US faced domestic division and a redefined foreign policy, while Vietnam rebuilt under socialism, shaping its modern trajectory.

Hai Thiem Bui. Photo: private/Stockholm University

“Economic hardship hit hard in Vietnam. Collectivization of farms and industries in the South led to food shortages and inefficiencies. US trade embargoes and limited Soviet/Chinese aid made it more difficult for Vietnam’s reconstruction, pushing it toward a subsistence economy”, says Thiem Hai Bui.

“In Vietnam the war’s victory cemented the CPV’s authority, but its suppression of southern elites and RVN supporters fuelled alienation. ‘Re-education camps’ and purges marginalized millions, embedding a one-party state that tolerates no dissent”, he continues.

“War propaganda glorified sacrifice and victory of the DRV but silenced southern narratives, erasing RVN’s cultural contributions (e.g., music, literature) in official history. Southern officials, military personnel, and elites faced persecution, with an estimated 1–2 million sent to ‘re-education camps’ for months to years. Mass exodus followed, with 1.1 million ‘boat people’ fleeing the country in the next decade, facing piracy and drowning. Ethnic Chinese in the South, targeted as capitalists, made up a third of refugees. This created a diaspora, particularly in the US, Canada, and Australia, that remains emotionally and politically divided from the homeland. The consequences of the war remain with diaspora resentment and domestic unease among southerners.”

What about the social and economic consequences?

“Families were fractured, and trauma lingered. Southerners, especially those tied to the Republic of Vietnam (RVN), faced discrimination post-1975, with property confiscations and exclusion from jobs, fostering resentment. This stretched resources, deepened economic woes, and alienated ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations), isolating Vietnam diplomatically as China and the US backed anti-Vietnamese forces. The war’s end heightened fears of communist insurgencies in ASEAN which was formed in 1967 in an effort to fight communism. Most ASEAN countries were US allies and strengthened security ties with Washington.”

How were other countries in the region affected?

“Refugee influxes (Vietnam’s boat people) throughout the 1980s strained resources in neighbouring countries and sparked border clashes, especially after Vietnam sent troops to Cambodia to overthrow the Khmer Rouge regime. Economic strain from refugee costs burdened coastal states like Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. ASEAN was unified against Vietnam’s regional moves, particularly its Cambodia occupation, aligning with US-China containment efforts, hosting anti-Vietnamese Khmer factions, escalating regional tensions.”

“In sum, Vietnam was unified under the single rule of the Communist Party of Vietnam in April 1975 but at immense human and economic cost, while neighbours grappled with instability, refugees, and shifting alliances, setting Southeast Asia’s geopolitical fault lines for decades. Only until mid-1990s, Vietnam was able to normalize its relations with the US, mend its relationship with its ASEAN neighbours and became an ASEAN member”, Thiem Hai Bui explains.

American armored vehicles of the Vietnam War period in the city museum, Hue, Vietnam. Photo: Viktor Karasev/Mostphotos

What implications has the war today for Vietnam?

“The Vietnam war’s outcome entrenched the Vietnamese Communist Party’s single-party rule, prioritizing stability and control over the last 50 years. The war’s unification narrative fuels national pride but limits political dissent, with the Party citing war sacrifices and victories to justify its long-lasting grip on power. The war forged a resilient, anti-imperialist identity, fuelling Vietnam’s more assertive stance on the South China Sea. It also instilled diplomatic pragmatism, balancing US and Chinese ties in the form of today Vietnam’s ‘bamboo diplomacy.’ It also drives centralized governance and economic ambition of achieving a high-income nation status as unfolding in the current massive bureaucratic reforms in Vietnam.”

…for the region and internationally?

“The war’s legacies empowered authoritarian regimes across Southeast Asia, setting a precedent for strongman rule. Regionally, it fuels South China Sea disputes and authoritarian resilience, amplified by reduced US engagement. Internationally, it underscores US credibility issues and China’s rise in light of the US President Trump’s policy reviving perceptions of US unreliability and post-war isolationism, straining its relations with allies in the region. This echoes post-war abandonment fears, pushing ASEAN toward China or undermines its neutrality.”

The war shaped Vietnam socially, economically, politically, and culturally

Thiem Hai Bui stresses that the Vietnam War left profound and lasting consequences for the Vietnamese people, shaping the nation’s social, economic, political, and cultural landscape:

“These effects continue to influence modern Vietnam, where national reconciliation, both within the country and with its diaspora, remains a critical but complex issue for fostering unity, healing historical wounds, and supporting the country’s development, connecting to social stability and authoritarian control, as the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) navigates these legacies under General Secretary To Lam. National reconciliation has become more imperative given the development of the 5-million-strong diaspora, especially 2 million in the US, as a vital resource for Vietnam in many aspects, notably in terms of remittances ($18 billion in 2024). However, balancing diaspora engagement with domestic control in Vietnam proves tricky. Allowing RVN narratives could embolden calls for reform, which the CPV suppresses to maintain its ‘unified social space’. It is widely argued that true unity should go as far as requiring the acknowledgement of RVN contributions, which risks opening debates the CPV seeks to control, and genuine political pluralism.”

Is reconciliation possible and what are the challenges today?

 “On the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War’s end, General Secretary To Lam published an article citing Ho Chi Minh’s statement on Vietnam as one nation and emphasizing reconciliation as a ‘long-term strategic choice’ and a ‘pillar of the great national unity bloc,’ framing it as essential for building a peaceful, unified, and prosperous Vietnam. Although its importance lies in social cohesion, economic growth, and global positioning, the CPV’s authoritarian approach so far has complicated progress in this regard. Reconciliation remains superficial, risking unrest if economic pressures exacerbate grievances. The CPV’s refusal to fully recognize RVN’s legitimacy, fearing it could undermine its authority, limits reconciliation’s depth. For instance, To Lam’s article avoids addressing former Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet’s comment from 2005 about ‘millions happy, millions sad’ when mentioning the war, suggesting a cautious approach to avoid legitimizing southern grievances. This continued omission reflects the CPV’s fear that recognizing RVN’s legitimacy could erode its authority or fuel opposition. In general, To Lam’s focus on forward-looking unity sidesteps historical accountability, maintaining control but risking superficial reconciliation. Current challenges to Vietnam loom large over US President Trump’s tariffs and South China Sea tensions, complicating its balancing acts amid global and regional geopolitic dynamics.”

Stockholm Center for Global Asia